House tour: Jillian Harris' eclectic romantic dream home

Creating her dream home

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Image by: Style at Home
By: Laura Muir
Source: Janis Nicolay

In a four-month home renovation (which Jillian pre-planned and Justin project-managed while she was in Vancouver filming the TV show), walls were taken down, rooms were reconfigured and tiny windows were replaced with bifold doors to open the house up to the lake views. The resulting airy spaces were enhanced with a light and crisp neutral colour scheme of white and pale grey.

Living room

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Image by: Style at Home
By: Laura Muir
Source: Janis Nicolay

The living room design, which leads to the outdoor dining area through French doors, exemplifies homeowner Jillian Harris's eclectic sensibility. The clean-lined sofa, slipcovered slipper chairs, rustic coffee table, Louis XV-style bench and Moroccan pouffe combine to create "a room that looks like it has evolved over time," says Jillian.

A bigger, beautiful kitchen

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Image by: Style at Home
By: Laura Muir
Source: Janis Nicolay

Jillian opened up the kitchen by taking out a wall between it and the dining room. "Now I can see the lake when I'm standing here in the kitchen," she says. To create the clean all-white space she wanted, Jillian had the orange and black granite countertops replaced with white quartz, which offers the look of marble without the maintenance. She also had the existing cream cabinetry painted white and changed the wrought-iron hardware for polished nickel. The new Moroccan-style backsplash adds pattern and shine.

Cozy kitchen sitting nook

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Image by: Style at Home
By: Laura Muir
Source: Janis Nicolay

Instead of placing a table in the kitchen's eat-in area, Jillian created a cozy sitting nook. "We're not big sit-down-at-a-table people. So we kept the formal dining space at the front of the house and then decided to go with a little seating area back here, and it's used quite often."

Art Deco floor mirror

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Image by: Style at Home
By: Laura Muir
Source: Janis Nicolay

In the kitchen's sitting nook, a wood-framed floor mirror with a gold-coloured finish adds interest. "I love the Art Deco look of it," says Jillian. "It has such a different feel than anything else in the house."

Gold accents

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Image by: Style at Home
By: Laura Muir
Source: Janis Nicolay

The gold accents throughout the kitchen can even be found on the table.

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Pink guest room

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Image by: Style at Home
By: Laura Muir
Source: Janis Nicolay

A pink, grey and cream colour scheme gives the guest bedroom a pretty, feminine look. "We call it the pink palace," says Jillian. "I actually love pink. I would have the entire house in grey and pink if I could. But when you're living with a male, sometimes that's not always possible. So I decided to make this room pink."

Timeless table lamp

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Image by: Style at Home
By: Laura Muir
Source: Janis Nicolay

The soft pink and gold table lamp in the guest bedroom boasts a sophisticated, timeless quality.

Antique dresser

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Image by: Style at Home
By: Laura Muir
Source: Janis Nicolay

An antique dresser handed down from Jillian's parents - her mother got it in her early 20s - lends character to the guest bedroom. The portrait, drawen by an Alberta artist, depicts Jillian as a young girl.

A pink palette

The guest bed is adorned with pink and textured toss cushions to really tie the room's colour scheme together.

Inviting outdoor dining

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Image by: Style at Home
By: Laura Muir
Source: Janis Nicolay

Jillian gave the outdoor dining room area an inviting look by layering in soft elements like toss cushions and throws.

Adding warmth and romance

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Image by: Style at Home
By: Laura Muir
Source: Janis Nicolay

Illuminating the outdoor space with candles and string lights adds warmth and romance.

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The spread

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Image by: Style at Home
By: Laura Muir
Source: Janis Nicolay

A variety of cutting boards offers an interesting alternative to platters when Jillian serves a delicious spread of cheeses, fruits (the green grapes come from her own vines), breads, charcuterie and jams during summer backyard get-togethers.

The perfect entertaining space

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Image by: Style at Home
By: Laura Muir
Source: Janis Nicolay

"We spend 99 percent of our time in the backyard during the summer. When entertaining outdoors, I love to use glass cloches. They keep the bugs out and give a nice high-end look to your tablescape."

Jillian's top 5 secrets for creating a cozy outdoor space

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Image by: Style at Home
By: Laura Muir
Source: Janis Nicolay

1 Layer the lighting: "Lighting is as important outside as it is inside. I created a layered effect by hanging filament bulb string lights, wrapping a couple of trees with twinkle lights, adding lanterns and putting candles on the table and fireplace. 2 Incorporate textiles: "I put a runner on the table and throws and toss cushions on the chairs, and even brought out an upholstered ottoman from inside. It warms things up a little bit and adds softness." 3 Add greenery to complement your surroundings: "I hung a simple boxwood garland on the fireplace mantel and placed clippings from around my yard in vases and Mason jars." 4 Create an outdoor bar: "It allows people to make their own cocktails and also gives a real swanky look to your party. I just used a basic bar cart, a nice tray and some classic liquers." 5 Hang artwork: "I've always loved putting mirrors outside. It really brings the inside out and gives th eimpression that your backyard is an extension of your living space. I look for cool inexpensive vintage art or metal mirrors that I can hang on the side of the house or fence."